Contact us for support

OhioSFEC@osu.edu

Contact us for support

OhioSFEC@osu.edu

Promising Practices

Lorain City Schools

Lorain is one of our newest members, joining the Ohio Network of Partnership Schools in 2025! Every building in their district participated in the online modules and developed school wide plans to support academic, behavioral, and school climate goals. “We cannot thank the family engagement center enough for helping schools in our district align and collaborate!” Hear how they aligned for success:

Wauseon Exempted Village

Wauseon schools, the Fulton County Health Department, the public library along with local non-profit It All Matters have teamed up to boost early literacy and family engagement!

  • It starts with an initial home visit to form the relationship between school and family.
  • Infants through pre-school age children receive backpacks with resources, books and tools to help parents and the little ones get ready for kindergarten.
  • Ongoing, two-way communication is key. Every birthday, a child receives a card from the school. Additionally, the family is provided with resources and referrals on an ongoing basis like to Help Me Grow.

Columbus City Schools

Columbus has been in our Ohio Network of Partnership Schools since 2019! We’re thrilled to highlight Columbus City Schools for their dedication to improving communication between schools and families. Here are some of the impactful ways they’ve bridged these connections:

  • Ensuring universal access to critical information such as attendance policies and family resources through language translation.
  • Supporting Family Engagement Workgroups with initiatives like the “check and connect” campaign, which keeps families informed about attendance through texts, mail, calls, and a dedicated hotline.
  • Introducing innovative resources like refrigerator magnets with QR codes for easy attendance reporting, and the Smore Newsletter, keeping families updated on school news, events, and important updates.

Discover more about CCS’s remarkable achievements and their journey towards excellence in family engagement!

Sandy Valley Local Schools

Many schools across the state are eager to learn how to establish effective School Partnership Teams. We’re inspired by Sandy Valley Local School’s leadership in this area since they joined the Ohio Network in 2020. Here are some of their notable achievements:

  • Established monthly meetings for school teams across elementary, middle, and high schools, scheduled before or after school hours.
  • Aligned school plans across all grade levels to create a robust districtwide strategy.
  • Conducted family surveys with incentives to gather valuable feedback.
  • Leveraged the 21st Century grant to engage community partners.

Learn more about Sandy Valley’s accomplishments and their path to family engagement.

Shaker Heights Schools

Members of the Ohio Network since 2020, Shaker Heights’ Boulevard Engagement & Action Team (BEAT) Team is hard at work to increase family engagement! Team members reflect the student population and families they serve. We are energized by their team pride and recent success! Here is a snapshot of their milestones:

  • Welcomed families at the start of the school day!
  • Used a sandwich board outside the school to promote attendance.
  • Distributed wristbands to every student with positive attendance messages like “Every minute counts!” with school start times.
  • Gave away BEAT Team t-shirts!
  • Invited Cleveland Browns to help students “Stay in the Game”
  • Introduced an email signature for teachers focused on promoting attendance.
  • Surveyed families and communicated outcomes of survey to all families.

Explore more about Shaker Heights and the BEAT Team. Celebrate their success with us!